5/7/2023 0 Comments Ace academy game valorie path![]() This year, Cagle and the Tigers are using the disappointing end to their 2021 season as motivation for 2022. Balancing those off each other helps me be successful in both aspects of the game.”Ĭlemson ended up getting sent to the Tuscaloosa Regional in 2021 and ran into buzzsaw Montana Fouts. I have the inside information about a hitter as a pitcher and vice versa having the pitcher's information from a hitter's standpoint. “Doing both is something I have always done, managing both to me is normal,” Cagle said. Two-way players are not as common in college softball these days, but when asked how she is able to excel both at the plate and in the circle, Cagle said both play off each other. “The COVID year really helped her develop, gain experience and she has just continued to get better.” “You knew that she was going to be successful, you just didn’t know how successful and how soon,” Rittman said. ![]() When asked about the success Cagle has already enjoyed at Clemson, Rittman again emphasized that he is not surprised by it at all. Cagle earned these honors as the team's ace in the circle, posting a 28-7 record with a 1.16 ERA, while being one of the team's biggest threats at the plate, blasting 17 home runs with a. The honors did not stop there, as she was named an All-American, a Top 10 finalist for National Player of the Year and a Top 3 finalist for National Freshman of the Year. The latter was thanks to the COVID eligibility waiver that gave impacted athletes a year of NCAA eligibility back. She is a pitcher that hits for power.”ĭuring the 2021 season, Clemson’s first full campaign as a Division I softball program, Cagle was able to lead her team to a regular season ACC title, while also garnering ACC Player and Freshman of the Year honors. “From the very first time you watch her, the ball explodes into the catcher's glove, she can play the outfield and when you watch her at the plate, she hits for power. “Valerie is a tremendous athlete, very talented,” Rittman said. Rittman knew from the start that Cagle was destined to do big things at Clemson, in part due to her versatility as an athlete. During the shortened season, she racked up 10 home runs, while also picking up nine victories. The dual-threat player showed everyone that she could light it up at the plate, while also dominating opposing hitters in the circle. native, took the entire nation by storm in her true freshman season in 2020, before the campaign was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am a super competitive person, and the opportunity to be a part of a brand new program in its first year, I just couldn’t pass that up.”Ĭagle, a Yorktown, Va. “I came to a camp, had an unofficial visit and it felt like an awesome fit,” Cagle said. That was true for Valerie Cagle, who felt instant chemistry with the Clemson softball program and its head coach John Rittman.Ĭagle, who made the commitment to join the new program before a single pitch was thrown in its history, was ecstatic to find a college team that matched her needs and wants. ![]() The opportunity to play for a brand new program is something many athletes simply can't pass up.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |